


Tea-Talks

by RiseiTekiSensei



Series: It's A Long Story [6]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route - "I want to stay with you.", Prompt - Protection, god i love these nerds!, i may need to make this a more permanent tag for my fics, midnight chats, part of my It's A Long Story Series, pre-soriel, sorielweek, sorielweek 2017, year 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-10 07:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11687202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiseiTekiSensei/pseuds/RiseiTekiSensei
Summary: Sans and Toriel share a cup of tea and enjoy the cold night air.





	Tea-Talks

**Author's Note:**

> For Day 4 of #SorielWeek2017 on tumblr. The prompt was Protection. You can find more information and other submissions at sorielweek.tumblr.com.

Sans slid the door open for her as she careful tiptoed past the threshold, each of her hands full of mug. Once her bare paws touched the concrete of her back patio Sans slid the door closed and sent Toriel a grin over his shoulder. 

 

“i dunno how you did it, but i conceded. you are the silent kitchen queen~”, Sans grinned as he walked over to her. His bare metatarsals made no noise as he walked across the icy pavement. 

It was a cold night, probably the last cold night of the season, and they both had decided to sneak outside to talk.  _ i guess it’s a good thing neither of us mind the cold…  _

After placing the mugs down on the little glass-topped end table Toriel turned to look at him with a matching grin. “Did you have doubt? For shame~”, Toriel scoffed. 

Sans’ smile never wavered but couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up in his chest as she toss her robe in fake indignation. “i’m sorry i ever doubt you, i humble myself before your mastery.” 

“As you should!”, Toriel humphed but she couldn’t stop herself from looking back at him with a snort. They both burst into laughter as they plopped down into her patio chairs. 

 

Sans was about to reach for one of the mugs when a fluffy hand batted his way. “Not yet, Sans. I have not had a chance to heat them yet.” 

 

Sans blinked at the two mugs of tea and finally realized something- or the absence of something, no steam. Neither mug was steaming despite the chill in the air that left Toriel’s breaths small cloud-like plumes. “oh! you cheated, that’s not fair. i rescind my previous statements.” Now it was Sans’ turn to fake indignation as Toriel wrapped a large paw around each mug. 

With her eyes closed, Sans watched the warm purple sparks and spirals of her magic curl into the slightly mis-colored water. It was fascinating to watch. Her magic almost danced atop the water before sinking in to raise its temperature. Soon both mugs were steaming heartily. 

“There~”, Toriel hummed and opened her lovely eyes to stare at him. He could see the sparkle of magic in her irises, changing red to purple for the briefest of seconds. “Now, we just need to wait for a few minutes to let the tea finish brewing.” 

“done ‘er not, it still doesn’t count. you said and i quote  _ ‘i can make us both tea without waking them up.’”  _ Sans argued as he settled back into his chair. 

Tori rolled her eyes, but grinned down at him, “And so I have. As you said, I never mentioned anything about completing my task in the kitchen.” Her tone left little doubt in his mind that he was going to win this argument, but that was fine by him. 

“true, but it doesn’t make you ‘the queen of stealth’. papyrus has ears like a bat-monster and anything that remotely sounds like an activity wakes him up, without fail.” Sans carried on as he stretched his arms above his head. They popped softly, but apparently not quietly enough. 

 

Toriel’s ears perked at the noise and she gave him a concerned look. Sans shook his head a little at her unspoken worry, he was fine, his bones just did that sometimes, and let his arms fall back down to rest on his stomach. 

“And I do believe you, I have seen him jump up from deep sleep to complete alertness to help unload groceries, but one does not become a queen through skill alone~”, Toriel hummed as she continued their pointless conversation. 

She was one of the only monsters Sans had ever met that liked having inane conversations and pointless discussions as much as he did. He couldn’t have picked a better friend. 

He gave her a flat look and arched a brow ridge at her. Toriel carried on as though she hadn’t seen his look, “To be a true leader and earn such a title, both cunning and wit must be used to out think any adversary. I met and completed your conditions, therefore I have every right to the throne of Stealth.” 

They held each other's gaze for several long moments, before grins spread across both their faces, like twin crescents of amusement. “ya’ know, i think we may’ve been a bad influence on you…”, Sans commented with a smile. 

“Oh, and why is that?”, Toriel asked genially as she used the teabags to stir their drinks. 

Sans settled back in his chair and let his eyes drift upwards, the clouds looked so interesting with the moonlight reflecting off of them. It was too cloudy to really let him see the stars, but he could make out a couple pieces of a few of the larger constellations. “that almost sounded like a papyru-ism.”

 

Toriel snickered and Sans smiled at the sky, even though he still wished she hadn’t left. He had- had… He’d loved having her in his home, she and Frisk just lit the place up. So much life and activity and newness- 

That must have been what he really had wanted- what he now missed, the change. Finally, it hadn’t just been him and Papyrus anymore; he’d lived with only his brother for so long, for so much longer than anyone knew, it had been so good to live with other souls. He loved his brother and he couldn’t think of not living with him,  _ except when i do _ , but… more having more people with them had been good.

And he missed this. Missed being able to sit with Toriel and talk about anything they wanted to, or nothing at all. Sure, they had spoken with each other nearly every day and he was over at their new house almost as often, but it wasn’t the same. That’s why he kept saying yes when Frisk invited him and Papyrus to stay the night, even when he had work in the morning and he knew his evening would end like this…  _ maybe that’s why i say yes… because it’ll always end like this. _

 

“Well, I do not think that is a bad thing… I believe everyone should sound a little more like Papyrus, the world would be a far kinder place.”, Toriel murmured and lifted her mug to her mouth. “Hmmm, the tea is ready”, she added after lowering the cup again. 

 

The steam from her cup swirled with the steam from her breath, creating little swirls of turbulence in the air around her.   


When she noticed him staring, he sat up a bit more and reached for his cup. “kinder and more wholesome, for sure… an’ cover in spaghetti sauce.”

 

Toriel snorted into her next sip and Sans grinned merrily as she wiped at the hot liquid now staining her sleep shirt. Sans had no idea where she had found a pyjama set that had snails on it, but she had. With fluffy cream colored pants and a yellowish tank top Toriel looked like a- a much younger women… with a well rounded figure. That was not hidden in the slightest by the thin fabric of her shirt-

Her paw was still patting at her chest and the motion of it was far more eye-catching than he thought was, uh- appropriate, so he tore his gaze away from her-  _ hand _ and turned back towards the sky.

 

_ stick to the clouds. _

 

_...her fur’s a lot like clouds… all soft and fluffy and white… and round-  _

 

Sans felt a buzz of magic around his cheekbones and looked down into his cup and thought about trying to divide by zero. It was a much safer subject. 

Once Toriel managed to dry her shirt, Sans sent her a little smile over the rim of his mug. She sent him an exasperated eyeroll, seeming to have missed his small crisis entirely, “Har, har. Just be happy that I am rather heat resistant.”

 

_ -because you’re so hot- _

 

Sans blinked that thought away hurriedly before his brain could do something really stupid, like say it out loud. “eh, sorry, t. i’ll try to be more careful about my  **tea-timing** .” Sans joked nervously trying to change the subject before she noticed how weird he was acting. 

It wasn’t a very good pun, but she laughed all the same. It was nice to know a friend with humor standards like his own. “That was  **tea** -rrifically bad~”, Toriel hummed with delight. 

“i know, it’s unbe- **leaf** -able, even for me.” Sans grinned glad to be switch to a topic they both enjoyed. 

 

* * *

The night carried on like that for quite awhile, before the duo finally fell quiet. It wasn’t that they had run out of things to say, it was just that they didn’t really need to. 

 

Sitting with her, just enjoying the cold crisp air of a late-April night… It made tomorrow far less frightening. Sans still didn’t want to think about the resets, but he’d been remembering them more and more lately. Each one was a new timeline, a new life…  _ a new death.  _

And he was remembering them. Remembering what had happened and what hadn’t. He could remember so many lives- so many resets… It made him wonder if this was going to be any different? 

Was this just another timeline, ready to vanish and the whimp of some uncaring power? He didn’t blame Frisk for the resets, they didn’t seem to remember the Underground the way he was coming to. They knew they had gone back in time, they knew that the could change the past and re-do the last week of their life but Sans didn’t think they could remember the months that came after. 

They didn’t know about what transpired in the Underground after they had left, but before the next timeline started… No, only he got to live with that- 

His tea was not sitting well in his non-existent stomach. His magic churched and his soul ached with the whisper of memories that flashed through his mind. 

 

The revolts… Empress Undyne and her War party… Queen Toriel,  _ his queen _ being run out of her own castle- or staying in it and ruling over a sad and forlorn people… King Pap- 

 

Sans felt his mind choke on that last thought. He didn’t- couldn’t think about that. He couldn’t go down that road again,  _ never again _ . 

Something soft touched his face and Sans jerked awake- when had he fallen asleep? 

 

Toriel’s face hovered over him. Worry was the most obvious emotion painting her face, but weariness and shock also colored her features. “Sans, dear? Are you alright?” 

“uh-”, Sans had to clear the rawness from his words, “yeah, yeah i’m good… sorry i hadn’t meant ta’ nod off.” Sans sat up and looked around. They were both still outside and by now the clouds had moved to completely block the moon, casting them both into a much darker night. 

 

Wind whipped through the trees and Sans realized that it had gotten much colder, but she was still out there with him. “oh god, tori. ya’ could’ve just left me out here, it’s freezin’. you should go in.” 

 

Toriel who had been about to say something, stopped to send him a narrow-eyed look. With pursed lips and a suddenly displeased look she glowered at him, “Unbelievable.” 

Thoroughly confused Sans blinked at her, “wah?” 

She huffed and shook her head. “You.”, she stated as she gestured at him as if that would clarify anything. “You were having some kind of unpleasant dream and the very first thing you do after you have woken up, is concern yourself with someone else’s problems.”

“i- i’m fine, tori. honest. i just realized that’s gettin’ pretty chilly, is all and i figured you’d be much more comfortable inside.” Sans said as he tried to stretch the crick in his neck without looking away from her. Clearly she was cold, she’d pulled her robe more tightly around herself.

 

Toriel just crossed her arms and stared at him. 

 

“what?”, Sans questioned with open confusion. His soul was still reeling from his hideous trip down memory lane and wasn’t up to this kind of higher thinking yet. 

With an exasperated sigh Toriel uncross her arms, “Sans, you are not fine.” 

 

Sans shifted in his chair ready to protest when she cut him off. 

 

“No. Do not interrupt me. You are not fine. And that is okay. You do not have to be alright all of the time.” She explained carefully, but at whatever she saw in his face she went on, “Sans, dear. You are safe here. You needn’t worry yourself about always appearing fit or right or good enough… You do not need to prove yourself to me.” 

 

_ but i’m not. i’m not safe. i’m not good enough. i’m not-  _

 

When he didn’t say anything Toriel sighed again. “I think you have spent so much of your life caring for another, and  **only** that other, that you have forgotten what it is like to be care for in return. To be protected from the things that frighten you…” Her gaze became very introspective and Sans still didn’t speak. 

He couldn’t. 

Something in her words, in the way she had spoken made him freeze. He knew that tone, he knew that look… and he knew why. It was how he felt. It was how he had felt when he’d first started talking with her through that door, so long ago. 

She wouldn’t let him help- She said she didn’t need anyone to care for her, she was just fine on her own. She had been so alone for so long that she wouldn’t let herself rely on someone else, even for something as simple as a regular conversation. 

It had ripped at his soul, knowing that this lady- this stranger couldn’t or wouldn’t allow herself to be cared for by anyone… And now- 

 

“-sorry.” 

 

His voice sounded like an explosion in the painful quiet that had stretched between them. Her eyes, dark with worry and concern, snapped to his face and no matter how much he wanted to look away, he didn’t. She was too important to hide from… 

“‘m sorry… i know- i know you want ta’ help, but i just can’t…”, Sans whispered. “not yet, i- i don’t know if i’ll ever be able to… but i-” 

Toriel placed her larger warm paw on top of one his hands. Sans felt her warmth and the relief it brought. His fingers had started to ache from the cold and from the stillness, but she didn’t flinch way. 

 

“I know.” 

 

She let her words hang in cold night air and searched his face for several long minutes. Whatever she found must have been what she’d hoped for, becauase with words as warm and soft as her paws she said, “And I shall be here when you  **are** ready.”

 

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. 

He returned the gesture and was glad that he didn’t have to be completely okay… Because neither did she. 

 

And that was okay. 


End file.
